Beyond the Laughing Sky

A beautiful, beautiful book that lifts you out of your reality and reminds you of the wonder in the everyday and that nothing is impossible. 'Ten year old Nashville doesn't feel like he belongs with his family, in his town, or even in this world. He was hatched from an egg his father found on...

The Secrets of Billie Bright

Firstly, let's all take a moment to stare at this cover. It is clearly delicious and worthy of a few moments of celebration. I love Susie Day's Pea books and have been looking forward to this one ever since she first mentioned it on Twitter. Although The Secrets of Billie Bright isn't a book about Pea,...

Once by Morris Gleitzman

Yesterday I took my daughter to the library and had a dig through the Junior fiction shelves and stumbled upon Once. It is a book I've heard so much about but never picked up before. I know I am years late to the party on this one, but that's the joy of libraries - you...

What to read after the Rainbow Magic Fairies?

Last week a friend asked me for book suggestions for her daughter who loves the Rainbow Magic fairy books. She loves the fantasy aspect of the series, and the slim volumes that don't intimidate her. But what could she read next? What should she move on to? It struck me that it's probably a common...

Wriggly Nativity

Picture books help children (and all of us) learn about the world around us - past, present and potential. And oh how children love to learn! Any new experience will inspire questions and ideas, and books support these questions - as well as the parents who are desperately trying to answer them against the repetitive...

The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis and Gwen Millward

This is a book we discovered at the local library. As you know, Rhino Reads is all about finding positive books that encourage and inspire children. The Bog Baby is a real gem! The perfect book to spark a child's imagination and inspire their creative play. It is told from the point of view of...